I liked the fact that the Dino puppet’s pieces are made from recycled paper and card and it’s a lovely little gift to buy someone. Not sure I would buy it otherwise though as we could probably get just as much fun out of creating our own from bits from our recycle box – and that’s costs nothing!

What’s not to like? Lego + Star Wars = little boy’s dream come true. And when Dan saw the size of this Lego Star Wars Tie Defender craft and the number of pieces involved his response was “cool!”. The end product is a rather great looking craft which Dan now has by his bed. He may have even stroked it at some point. We do have quite a lot of Lego and the Lego Star Wars Tie Defender certainly didn’t disappoint.

This bright and colourful imaginative toy is a great way to help children with their hand eye coordination while also having fun and being creative. It’s just what I’m looking for when buying stocking fillers – not too expensive, no batteries or small parts. This sort of thing is a win win for me and we thoroughly enjoyed it!

As a mum who is always on the look out for toys that are not branded and are ‘home made’ I was thrilled with the Creative Charlie jewellery making kit. I loved so many things: the ethos of the company and the fact that they have obviously taken time to source quality items being the two main ones. The beads were made by woman’s cooperative; the labels are biodegradable; the shipping packaging recycled. If you’re looking for a great ethical gift idea then look no further.

This is a lovely, offbeat way to spend an afternoon, and I think if you add some pretty pens and stickers, this charming vintage-style book makes a perfect gift. It’s a refreshing change from branded and character-led Disney books. It’s also a big hit with girls of all ages – my eight year old loves it, but many of my friends with younger kids are big fans, too.

The My First Lacing Tools set is a lovely present for a young child, and one that gives you a lot of toy for your money. It’s going to get lots of play, and is robust enough to still be around for the next child.

Bambini beads make a lovely gift for children aged 3 and above, and I’d buy them for boys or girls, which is a refreshing change. It’s an educational toy, but so much fun to play with, too! Great value for money and it’s so popular in our house.

I can’t recommend this little bucket of Play-Doh enough, the price is fantastic and it is guaranteed to keep your little ones occupied, really encouraging them to use their imagination. Love it.

The Chica Bead Bazaar jewellery kit is the perfect present to keep little girls entertained on all those wet and cold winter evenings, but do expect to help 5 and 6 year olds. The price is reasonable considering the enormous variety of beads included in the set, and the fantastic quality – my girls are wearing their bracelets with pride!

A lovely quality book with a range of Christmas-themed activities that should fill a few rainy afternoons, and I think it’s always nice to keep Christmas craft projects to use as decorations in future years. Just make sure you have time to sit down with your child to provide help, because it will be needed.

I can imagine this Reindeer Poo in a box being a real fun novelty Christmas gift for kids and adults alike. The price is reasonable and the profits made from it’s sale help to Support the Natural History Museum and it’s fantastic research into conserving the biodiversity of our planet.

The Snazaroo face-paints and Special KX kits are safe and easy to apply and – importantly – wash off easily. We were careful not to get any onto clothes, but I would imagine it would be quite straightforward to remove. And you can perform miracles of healing in a matter of minutes to the fake injuries sustained in an evening’s trick or treating. All in all, these kits are a couple of halloween essentials. Just remind me to disconnect the doorbell.